Heel-nailing machine



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HEEL NAILING MACHINE.

(Application led Nov. 19, 1897.)

Il Smets-Sheet l.

@No Model.)

m: Norms Pneus ou. nuovo-LING.4 WASHINGTON, D. c.

No. 6t|,37o. Patented sept. 27, |898.

' .H. w. WINTER.

HEEL NAlLlNG MACHINE.

(Application Bled. Nov. 19, 1897.) v v (No Model.) Il Sheets-Sheet 2.

lag. 2.

'ma Monats Farms co.. PNoTaLtrHo., wAst-tmcrou. D, c.

No. 6||,370. Patented Sif'., 21" |898. H. W. WINTER.

IIEEL MAILING MACHINE.,

(Application Bled Nov. 19, 189'7'.)`

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I H l Il@ THE Nnnms Patins cuA Iam-Ilma, WASHINGTON, b. I:4

N0. 6||,370. Patented Sept. 27, |898.

" H. W. WINTER.

HEEL MAILING MACHINE.

(Application Bled Nov. 19. 1897.) IND Model.) II Sheets-Sheet 4.

THE NaRms Ferias co, Pnoammo., wAsHINaTcN. n. c4

Ne. M370. Patented sept. 27, :89a

H. w. WINTER.

HEEL NAILING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1897.) KN u M n d e I Il Sheets-Sheet 5.

Inveni'or:

m Jaen@ Wife/seien /J u I Ia/k l N: Nonms PETERS ca., Fumo-uwe.. wAsHlNoToN. u. c.

No. 6H,37U. v l Patented Sept. 27, |898.

H. W. WINTER.

HEEL NAILING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1897.)

(No Model.) Il Sheets-$heet 6.

M/ases: Lwenor:

H WWier, @MMM em No. 6|l,370. vPatented Sept. 27, |898. H. W. WINTER.

HEEL NAILING MACHINE. (Applcation led Nov. 19, 1897.)

(No Model.) Il Sheets-Sheet 7.

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HEEL MAILING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1897.)

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rr l l I I l i l l l tiel lhhuxd l [lllllll umm" E Huh? ILHYHWVII n (No Modell) "IIIIIIIIIII No. 6||,37n. l Patentd sept. 27, |398..

H. w. WINTER.

HEEL NAILING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 19,r 1897.) uw Mmm.) u sheets-sheet lu.

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No. 6||,37o. Patented sept. 27, I|393.`

H. w. vwlNTliR. HEEL NAILING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1897.)

(No Model.) II Sheets-Sheet Il.

TH: Noams arms co, PHOTO-uwe WASHINGTON. D. c.

NTTED i STATES PATENT Omron.v

HEEL-NAILING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 611,370, dated September 27, `1898. Application filed November 19, 1897. Serial No. 659,072. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. WINTER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Heel-Nailing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like let-` ters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a machine more particularly adapted, as herein shown, for the nailing of springheel shoes, novel means being provided for separating the nails heldin bulk in a suitable hopper and for transferring them to a nailblock, whence they are driven into the heel of the shoe mounted upon a suitable support.

In my present invention the nail-block and the driving mechanism and cooperating support for the shoe are adapted for nailing any class of heels; but the nail-separating mechanism herein shown and described in detail is only adapted for use with nails having a head or other enlargement at or near their upper ends, as will more clearly appear hereinafter.

Various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the following specification and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a heel-nailing machine embodying my invention, the parts being shown in position to nail a heel, although for the sake of clearness the boot or shoe is omitted. Fig. 2 is a right-hand elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with one of the shoe-supports in position to have a shoe applied to it or to be removed therefrom. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the machine, taken on the irregular line o; o0, Fig. l, the nail-separating mechanism being omitted. Fig. 3n is a horizontal sectional view taken on the irregular line oc', Fig. 3, in order to more clearly show the main driving-shaft and the connections between it and the mechanism for actuating the heel-compressing mechanism, parts of the latter being shown in elevation to betterillustrate the construction. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the nailbloclwith the sole-positioning device connected thereto. Fig. da is an under side view of the nail-block with the positioning device,

showing the mode of adjusting the latter. Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation, enlarged, of the nail-separating mechanism, said mechanism being shown in position with regard to the rest of the apparatus in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5"L is an enlarged View, partly broken out, of the mechanism for controlling the operation of the nailing transferrer, wherebyV one nail or a plurality of nails will be transferred. Fig. 5b is a longitudinal sectional view of said controlling mechanism, taken on the line c2 x2, Fig. 5f, looking toward the-left. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the nailseparating mechanism, taken on the line ac3 003, Fig. 5, some of the parts, however, being shown in elevation. Fig. 7 is a front elevation, on a much larger scale, of the nail-separating mechanism, with the end bearing-plate l removed. Fig. 7 i is an inner side view of the end bearing-plate, to be described. Fig. 7b is a. perspective View of the back bearingplate for the nail-raceways. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the separating mechanism on the line x4 m4, Fig. '7, looking down. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the sepa rating mechanism on the line a5 005, Fig. 8, with the nail-separators in elevation. Fig. 10 is a rear end elevation of the main hopper, the auxiliary hopper being omitted, some of the shafts and a nail-raceway being shown in section. Fig. 11 is a 'transverse sectional View taken on the line oc fr, Fig. 8, looking toward the left. elevation, enlarged, of the work-positioning means, the left-hand portion being shown partly in section. Fig. 13 is a top or plan view of the same with the left-hand portion partly in horizontal section. Fig. 14 is a side elevation thereof, and Figs. 15 and 16 are perspective details of portions of the worksupport to be described. Fig. 17 is a detached View, in front elevation, of a guideplate attached to the fixed outer end of the main hopper, providing guideways for the nails and serving to support the nail-separating and pick-off devices. Fig. 1S is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken through one of the nail-guideways. Fig. 19 is a top or plan view of the guide-plate, the upper member being partially broken away. Fig. 20 is a front `elevation of the bearing-plate in Fig. 12 is a front" ICO which some of the rolls forming the nail-raceways are supported; and Fig. 2l is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken through one of the nail-guideways.

Referring to Figs. l, 2, and 3,the main supporting-frame of the apparatus comprises a box -like base portion A, having suit-able bearings A for the main driving-shaft B, provided with a suitable pulley BX, to which rotation is imparted from any suitable source of power, (not shown,) the front of the base having, as shown best in Figs. l and 3, suitable doors A, by which ready access may be had to the interior of the base for the purpose of adjustment or otherwise.

The main driving-shaft B has mounted thereon a clutch B of any suitable construction, the loose member of which has an attached gear B2, the said' clutch being controlled by a detent B3, fast on a rock-shaft B4, mounted in the base of the frame and operated by a suitable treadle B5, (see Figs. l and 2,) the withdrawal of the detent permitting 4 the clutch to operate, whereby the gear B2 will be rotated by and in unison with the main driving-shaft. This gear is in mesh with the toothed periphery of a cam C, fast on a shaft C', mounted in suitable bearings in the base, said cam having in one side thereof (see Fig. 3 and dotted lines, Fig. 3) a cam-groove a300 to act upon a suitable roller or other stud 3 on the detent to hold the latter inoperative for one complete revolvtion of the clutchgear after the latter has been started by the operator, so that the operation of the machine will not be stopped prematurely should the operative remove the pressure from the treadle. This construction is well known in apparatus of this and similar character wherein the operator starts the apparatus at will and stoppage is automatically effected at the proper time.

The cam-shaft C has fastthereon two outer cams C2 C3, the outer cams C2 C3 being alike and having in their outer faces like grooves c2 c3, respectively, to be entered by suitable roller or other studs c4 cG (see Fig. 3a) on like links D, longitudinally slotted at d to straddle the cam-shaft C', the outer ends of the links being pivotally connected to one of the arms D/ of apair of toggles located, respectively, near the sides of and at the front of the base, the upper end of each arm D' having a` lateral hub d', supported in suitable bosses A3 (see Fig. 3*) of the base and also forming bearings for a shaft E to be described.

The toggle-arms D2 are pivotally connected at their lower ends to studs on collars d2, fast on vertical plungers D3, mounted in and guided by the base of the frame A, said plungers having bearings'for-t-heir lower ends in hollow bosses A4 within the base. (See dotted lines, Figs. l and 3.) The plungers extend upwardly above the frame for some distance and have at their upper ends a connecting cross-head D4, rigidly attached thereto.

As shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, the frame is upwardly extended to form an overhanging head A5, laterally extended at AG to provide vertical guides or bearings A7 for the -plungers D3 below the cross-head. The crosshead has suitably attached thereto a gang of drivers D for the nails, the gang of drivers being attached in any suitable manner to the cross-head, which latter has at the rear of its center a vertical opening d3 and two larger openings dLl (see dotted lines, Fig. l) for a `purpose to be described.

The part A6 of the overhanging head of the frame is recessed from its front face to receive the nail-block, (shown in section in Fig. 4,) said nail-block being built up of superposed plates of metal a, with vertical registering openings a therethrough to form nailpassages, two of the sections, as best shown in Fig. l, extendinglaterally beyond the others to form guides which slide into the correspondingly-grooved sides of the recess in the part A6 of the head to-position the nailblock in place.

The main object in making the nail-block in section, as described, is to enable suitable nail-detents d2 to be inserted, said detents being made, preferably, of spring metal projecting into the nail-passages d at one side and held in place by screws or other suitable means d3, said detents being located at the outermost sides of the passages to act in guiding the nails inward toward the center of the heel as they are driven.

The top plate d4 of the nail-block is shown as having a raised wall d5, substantially corresponding in shape to the shape of the heel, with holes a therein forming upper continuations of the nail-passages d', and inclined throats a7 leading into' said continuations a6 to convey the nails thereto from the nailtransferring mechanism to be described, it being understood that the nail-drivers D reciprocate vertically in the passages d a6, while the detents a2 preventin usual manner discharge of the nails from the bottom of the block until positively driven therefrom by the drivers.

The raised wall a5 of the top plate or section a4 of the nail-block is cutaway at the IOO IIC

upper ends of the nail-driving holes or pas- Y sages a6 to thereby decrease the distance from the top to the bottom of said nail-driving passages as a whole, enabling the use of much shorter drivers. This is a decided advantage, because the longer the driver the greater the liability thereof to buckle or bend in driving the nail, and any material reduction in the length of the driver will obviate such buckling tendency.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that by cutting away the wall above the driver-passages the upper or outer ends of the deliverythroats a7 will be located above such cut-away portion to permit free access of the nail-conducting tubes or passages to the upper ends of the boot or shoe, the latter being subjected to, a predetermined fixed pressure, as will be hereinafter described.

The horizontal portion A8 of the frame, located below the overhanging head and part Ai thereof, forms a bed and is provided, as herein shown, with lateral guideways as for a laterally-movable carriage 6X, (see Fig. 16,) said carriage having vertical openings 6 and S therein and being grooved longitudinally at its front and rear edges at b' to engage the guides a8 referred to, said carriage having at its opposite ends overhanginglips or flanges b2, which form in turn guides for a slideblock F, (see Fig. 15,) having a fiat extended base with overturned ends fto embrace the guideflanges b2, the block F also having vertical openings f and fs to at times register with the openings 6 and 8 of the supporting-carriage bx, the latter being elongated, as shown in Fig. 16, for a purpose to be described.

The carriage 6X is provided, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with an upturned lug b3, in which is mounted an adjusting-screw b4, taking into a threaded opening 8O (see Fig. 15) in the slide-block to adjust the latter toward `the front or rear of the carriage bx in order to properly adjust the work with relation to the nail-blocks, as will fully appear. The said slide-block is shown as vertically elongated to receive and form bearings for two short slide-rods f', which extend down into the openings 6 and 8 of the carriage and which have fast on their lower ends collars f2, against each of which bears one end of a strong spring S, (see Fig. 3,) the other end of the spring bearing against the top of the elongated portion of the block, the spring normally tending to maintain the rods f in the position shown in Fig. 3, with the collars resting on the bed-plate, and preferably the lower end of each rod is slightly beveled or rounded at its edges, so that in the lateral movement of the carriage 6X, taking with it the block F, said rods will be perfectly free to move over the bed-plate.

The upper ends of the rod f have pivoted thereon each a shoe-holder (shown as an arm f3) of suitable length andprovided with a head f4, having a hardened-steel face f5 to clench the nails as they are driven from the nail-block into the heel, the shoe-holders being pivoted at 9 to swing outward toward the operator to enable him to place a shoe thereupon or to removeone from it.

Referring now to Figs. l and 3, the bed A? of the frame has, as herein shown, three depending like bosses 10 12 14 to guide, respectively, like vertically-movable plungers 22 24, each plunger having an enlarged or annularly-fianged head to support the lower end of a spring SX, surrounding the corresponding boss and between the under side of the bed A8 and the flange on the plunger, each of said plungers having a longitudinal slot 15 therein (see Fig. 3) to be entered by a suitable stud 16 in the boss to prevent rotation of the plunger. The upper ends of the plungers are normally substantially iiush with the upper face of the bed, and each plunger carries at its lower end, preferably, a roll 1S, which rests upon a suitable cam EX, three of said cams being shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and in plan, Fig. 3*, loosely mounted on the shaft F, hereinbefore referred to, the shape of the cams, which are all alike, being shown best in Fig. 3. Each cam is provided with a carrier, shown as comprising two disks eX, keyed to or otherwise movable with the shaft E and having interposed washers w, of leather or other suitable material, between them and the cam, said disks eX, washers, and the cams being connected to move together frictionally by means of suitable bolts e', passed through the cam and disks eX, forming the carrier, the cam having elongated slots e2, (see dotted lines, Fig. 3,) through which the bolts pass.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that if the cam-carrier is rotated the camwill ro tate therewith in unison until the friction between the cam and its carrier is overcome, whereupon the movement of the carrier may continue after the stoppage of movement of the cam.

One of the disks of the center camcarrier, as herein shown, is toothed for a portion of its periphery at e3 to form a segmental gear in mesh with a rack-bar e4, mounted to slide in a horizontal bearing A9 of the base of the frame and connected at its inner end with an actuating-link C5, slotted to embrace the camshaft C and carrying a suitable roller or other stud c10 to enter a cam-groove CG (see Fig. 3) in one face of the cam C, heretofore described. The shape of the groove C6 is such that movement will. be imparted to the rack-bar e4 to partially rotate the cam-carriers on the shaft E, the beginning of the movement being rapid, and thereafter, while the nailing is being effected, the movement of the carriers ceases, and after the nailing is completed the carriers are moved in a reverse direction to restore the parts to startin g position.

The acting periphery of` each of the cams EX comprises a dwell portion from 1 to 2, Fig'.

3, then a quick rise from 2 to 23, and fromv the latter point a gradually-increasing rise, so that when the cam-carriers are moved in the direction of the arrowO, Fig. 3, the plungers 20, 22, and f2i will be quickly raised when their rolls 1S are engaged by the quick rise of the cam, and thereafter, the cam continuing its movement, the rise of the plungers will be more gradual. j

The plungers are so located that the center one and either of the outside ones fmay be made to act upon the slide-rods f', mounted in the carriage bx, to elevate said slide-rods and compress the heel and adjacent portion of asole of the shoe on the corresponding shoe- IOO IIO

holder f3 in position to 4have the heel thereof nailed and to simultaneously spank the heel of a shoe mounted on the other holder. l

If the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the operator will place a shoe on the right-hand shoe-holder f3, which is then located above the center plunger 22, and, swinging the shoe-holder in, will start the machine. The center cam E will then operate upon its plunger 22, raising the same and with it the shoe upon the holder until the bottom of the heel is brought to bear upon the heel-support-viz., the underside of the nail-blockand the heel will be subjected to compression between the heel-support and the shoe-holder, the amount of pressure to which the shoe is to be subjected being predetermined and regulated by the amount of friction between the cam EX and its carrier.

Inasmuch as the height and density of heels vary quite considerably even with stock substantially uniform, it is highly desirable to subject each heel to no more or no less than the predetermined amount of pressure, and in my present invention I have made the height and density of the heel effective to control and automatically 4render the compressing mechanism inactive after the predetermined pressure has been obtained.

The pressure-cam EX, as' it may be termed, will continue to move with its carrier, and thereby impart a gradually-increasing pressure to the heel until the predetermined pressure has been attained, and at such point the resistance offered by the compression of the heel to the continued rotation of the cam will be sufficient to overcome the friction between the cam and its carrier, and there will be slip or lost motion between them, the cam remaining stationary while the carrier completes its throw. Upon the return movement of the carrier the cam will be positively returned to starting position, as the ends of the slots in the cam will be engaged by the bolts e until the projecting portions e6 of the cams are engaged by a fixed stop, shown as a bar e7, extended across and iixedly mounted in the frame, and when the stop acts the return movement of the cam is stopped, while the slight further movement of the carrier restores the parts to their relative position. (Shown in Fig. 3.) The operative then moves the carriage, and thereby the shoe-holders, to the right, viewing Fig. 1, until the left-hand holder f3 of the pair is brought into position to have the heel of the shoe, now placed thereon, compressed at the next operation of the machine, such movement of the carriage being readily effected by means of a hand-lever 75, pivoted on the main frame at 76 and provided with a stud 7 7 which enters a vertical groove f7 in the block F on the carriage.

By swinging the handle 7 5 from left to right the carriage is moved to the right and the rods f of the two work-holders are brought into lposition above the plungers 22 and 24. In this position the work on the holder above the center plunger is in position to have the heel compressed and the nails driven thereinto, it being understood that while the heel is compressed, as has been heretofore described,

the toggles are straightened by means of the cams C2 C3 to depress the cross-head D4 and lower the drivers D to drive the nails from the nail-block into the heel. Now when the apparatus is again started to operate upon the second shoe the plunger 24 will raise the shoe-holder, having thereon the shoe, the heel of which has been nailed, and such heel is raised against the part 25 of the under side of the overhanging head, the two parts 25 being located at opposite sides of the nail-block and serving as spanker-plates to either level the bottom of the nailed heel or, if the nails have been left slightly projecting, to spank a top lift upon the same.

When the heel of the second shoe has been compressed and nailed, the operator removes the shoe rst operated upon and places the third shoe upon the right-hand holder, (shown in Fig. 1,) it being remembered, however, that the holders are shifted to the right-hand side of the bed. The carriage is then shifted back into the position shown in Fig. 1, and the third shoe is then in position to have its heel compressed and nailed, while the second shoe, previously nailed, is spanked as described.

It is necessary to position the boot or shoe upon the holder during the heel compressing and nailing operation, and particularly in spring-heel shoes, wherein the heel end of the sole, with its attached wedge, which, with the sole, forms the heel, is not nailed to the heel end of the shoe when the latter is operated upon in thev nailing-machine.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been usual or necessary to position the heel end of the sole relatively to the shoe by inserting one or more nails before the work is operated upon by a regular nailing-machine. In my present invention, however, I have provided work-positioning devices which serve to position the heel end of the sole and attaehcd wedge in a spring-heel shoe and also to cen,- ter and accurately position the heel upon the shoe while being compressed and nailed, so that no preliminary fastening is necessary.

On the under side of the nail-block (see Fig. ta) I mount two preferably adjustable gages g, the downturned portions of which embrace the sides of the sole and the heelforming wedge when the shoe-holder f3 is in proper vertical position, and by means of the slots g' in the gages I am enabled to adjust them to accommodate soles of dilferent widths, the gages being held on the nail-block and in adjusted position by suitable screws g2. Below the overhanging head the upwardly-extended portion of the frame is provided with atransverse preferably undercut groove g3, Figs. 1 and 3, to receive a slide plate g4, (shown in side elevation on a larger scale in Fig. 14 and in plan view in Fig. 13,) said slideplate having two sets of vertical guideways g5 to receive each a vertically-movable sta-nd gs, said stands being connected by flat springs s with the upper ends of two slide-rods f', so that when the latter are moved vertically the said stands will be moved by and in unison with them. These stands are recessed interiorly to receive each a substantially L-shaped support 97, the horizontal foot of said supportssliding in and out on guides g8 in the stands gG. Each of these supports g7 is provided with raceways to receive antifrictionballs gg, (see dotted lines,- Fig. 12,) on which travel the laterally-extended andoverlappin g bases hX 75X of outwardly-extended and upturned arms z 7c. (Shown clearlyin Figs. 12, 13, and 14.) The base hX is shown in Fig. 13 as recessed to receive the base lex of the other arm,the bases being provided with rack-teeth It 7c', respectively, in mesh with a pinion Q10, fast on a shaft g12, mounted to rotate vertically in the support Q7, the arms being con-- nected by a spring S2 to normally draw them together, as shown in the drawings. At the outer upturned ends of the arms I have fulcrumed levers h2 7a2, shaped at their outer ends to form clamping members h3 7f3, which bear against and grasp the counter of the shoe adjacent to and below the heel when the work is on the holder. The inner ends of the arms are connected by links h17c1 to a disk or head Q13, rotatably mounted on a capplate Q11, rigidly secured to the stand g6 and provided on its under face with suitable raceways for antifriction-balls g15 (see dotted lines, Fig. l2) for the upper edges of the armbases hX kx.

A back gage Q16 for the back of the counter of the shoe is adjustably mounted on the cap-plate and is held in adjusted position by a suitable set-screw Q17, Figs. 13 and 14, the back gage being adjusted in or out, according to the length of the heel or the size of the shoe to be operated upon.

W'hen the shoe-holder f3 is moved back into vertical position, the heel end of the sole enters between and is positioned by the gages g and the counter of the shoe is embraced by the clamping members h3 7a3, the spring S2 permitting the arms which support said mem- Y bers to separate sufficiently to permit the eutrance of the counter, and by virtue of the rack-and-pinion connection between the laterally-extended bases of said arms the latter move an equal distance away from the center, to thus insure the accurate positioning of the shoe relative to the heel, which is positioned, as has been stated, by the gages g on the under side of the nail-block. The pivoted arms h2 k2 rock laterally to accommodate the clamping members to the shoe, and

this rocking movement is equalized by means of the links and rotatable disks 913. Each of the outer upturned arms tX is provided with alug carryinga stop-screw 27,which limits the inward movement of eachvpair of arms toward each other due to the action of the spring S2, the stops being set according to the width of the shoe to be nailed. Now when the operative moves the carriage 11X laterally onthe bed of the frame, as has been described, the stand Q6 and slide-bar g4 will be movedllaterally in unison therewith, and when the compression mechanism operates to elevate the slide-rods f, carrying the workholders, the stands g6 will slide vertically on 'the slide-bar g4, thus maintaining the shoepositioning device in the same position relative to the shoe-holder when the latter is moved laterally. By means of the ball-bearings for the arms 7L and 7i; the movement thereof is made very easy and wear is reduced to the lowest possible limit.

In Fig. 12 I have shown at 2S the guideway for the back: gage Q16. The balls g1 and Q15 are retained in place by suitable pins 30 and 31.

Referring to Figs. l and 3, theV top member a5 of the nail-block has secured thereto two brackets e112, which arelocated at the outside of the nail-passages and which support the upper ends of a series of nail-transmitting tubes @13, the lower ends of said transmitting'- tubes being connected in any suitable manner with the delivery-throats a1, said tubes being conveniently formed of spiral springs and in themselves forming no part of my invention. The connection of these transmittin'g-tubes with the nail-block enables me to remove the nail-block and tubes bodily when desired in changing from a large to a small size shoe, or vice versa.

The nail-separating mechanism as a whole comprises a hopper to receive nails in bulk, and means to take the nails from the hopper onto the raceway, along which they travel to a transferrer, which latter is so constructed that one nail or a plurality of nails may be transferred to a receiver, the nails being distributed from the receiver to the nail-transmitting tubes mounted on the nail-block.

The u ptu rned portion A5 of the main frame has at the rear of the nailing mechanism a horizontal bearing A12 (see Fig. 3) for a turn table M, having upturned ears m, on Which is pivoted a frame M (see Fig. 2) of the nailseparating mechanism now to be described, said separating mechanism being adapted to be tipped on a horizontal fulcrum m' and to be swung laterally on the bearing A12, said frame M having a depending bearing M concentric with the center of rotation of the turn-table and resting upon a suitable track A13 on the main frame of the machine, to thereby enable the separating mechanism to be swung horizontally, when desired, to one side. The turn-table is retained upon its bearing by means of an undercut ring mx, secured in any suitable manner to the main frame, as by screws The frame M is provided with a vertical bearing m2 (see Fig. 6) for an auxiliary shaft N, having thereon, above the bearing, a worm 7?, and a beveled gear at and feathered or splined thereon, below the bea-ring, a second and larger beveled gear n2, said shaft being concentric with the vertical fulcrum, about which the nail-separating mechanism can be IOO swung laterally, said gear n2 being normally held in operative position bya check-mitad00 on a threaded part of the shaft N. (See Fig. 6.)

A main or actuating shaft NX (see Figs. 2, 3, and 6) is mounted in suitable bearings 33 34 in the main frame and extends up through the center of the turn-table M and is connected with the lower end of the auxiliary shaft N by any suitable universal joint N', so that the actuating and auxiliary shafts need not be disconnected when the nail-separating mechanism is tipped on the turntable, it being noticed that the joint between said shafts is in line with the horizontal fulcruin m' for this purpose.

The lower end of the actuating-shaft NX is provided, preferably, with a friction-disk n3, Fig. 3, driven by a second friction-disk n4, fast on a shaft m5, mounted in the main-frame base and driven by a suitable belt BS (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) from the main drivingshaft. l. prefer to use friction-disks in this instance rather than gearing, so that there will be no breakage of any of the parts of the nail-separating mechanism should free movementof the same be impeded.

The frame MX supports, as herein shown, main and auxiliary hoppers H and H, the hopper H comprising a rotatable body portion having annular raceways 7L15 7L1G, Fig. 6, for antifriction-balls 40 and 42, respectively, the series of balls 40 being held in place by one of the fixed ends H2 of the hopper, while the series of balls 42 are held in place by the other end HX of said hopper, the latter also forming one of the ends of the auxiliary hopper H. The fixed hopper end H2 is rigidly secured to the frame MX, and the two ends H2 HX are rigidly connected by suitable bolts 43, (see Fig. 7,) the said bolts being extended through sleeves which separate the hopper ends and prevent their being drawn too tightly together, one of such sleeves 7i1T being shown in Fig. G.

The hopper-bodies H H' are shown as connected by a suitable brace 45 to rotate in unison, the body H being provided with or having formed thereon a spur-gear 7118, in mesh with a pinion 77,19, fast on a shaft 71.20, said shaft at its other end being provided with a bevveled gear 7121, in mesh with the gear n2 on the auxiliary shaft and from which it is driven to rotate the hopper-bodies. By loosening the check-nut m200 the gear n? can be lowered out of engagement with the gear 7t21, so that the body portion of the hopper can be reversely rotated by hand to quickly empty the naillifting devices. The shaft h2o is mounted in a bearing m3, forming a part of the end plate H3 of the auxiliary hopper, said plate being bolted or otherwise secured to the frame MX.

The hopper-body H is mounted to rotate on antifriction-balls 46 and 48, (see Fig. 6,) which travel in raceways in the end plate H3 and intermediate plate or hopper end HX. The intermediate plate HX (shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 10) has an annular projection 7W, which serves as a guide for the part 7f3 of the auxiliary hopper-body H', the part 77,23 being substantially an annular inturned flange providing the raceway for the series of balls 4S. rlhe rib or iiange 71,22 also acts to cover the joint between the intermediate plate HX and the adjacent part of the hopper-body to absolutely prevent the entrance of any nails or nail-points. By referring to Fig. G it will also be seen that the other side of the auxiliary hopper-body is let into the end plate H3 for the same purpose. The annular` joints in the main hopper between the body and fixed ends thereof are also protected in like manner, so that it is impossible for the hoppers to become jam ined by entrance of the nail-points into the joints.

The body portion of each hopper is provided at its interior with nail-lifting devices, which act to lift the nails from the bulk of nails and to discharge them onto the raceway, the latter, as will be described, being arranged in a single plane across the hopper, and in order to discharge the nails as equally as may be upon all of the racewaysthe lifting devices. are of peculiar and novel construction.

Referring to Fig. 7, the lifting devices are shown as shelves G0, secured to the inner surface of the hopper-body and of different lengths and inclinations, (see dotted lines,) the longer shelves, one of which is shown at the highest point .in said figure, making deeper pockets and retaining the nails therein until the rotation of the hopper-body has carried the shelf far enough over to discharge the nails, the main discharge of the nails from such deep pockets taking place at the far side of the hopper and properly maintaining the farthest raceway supplied with nails. The shallower pockets discharge their nails sooner, and the inclination of the shelves also varies the time at which the nails will be discharged, so that a full supply of nails will he provided for all of the raceways, those farthest from as well as those nearest to the higher or lifting side ofthe hopper-body.

Referring to Figs. ,6, 8, 17, 18, and 19, a guide-plate O is secured to the hopper end H2, said guide-plate being preferably formed in two parts for convenience, the under member having a series of vertical slots o, extended from front to back of the plate, and after the two members of the plate are secured together holes o are bored therethrough adjacent the upper ends and opening into said slots, as shown in Fig. 17, to receive the outer ends of rolls R R, arranged in pairs and forming raceways along which the nails travel to the lower ends thereof, said raceways being shown as inclined to the horizontal in Fig. 6. The rolls simply pass through the guide-plate O, but they do not take their bearings therein, as the said rolls are supported in end bearings, some of which are shown in section in Fig. 8. p

The guide-plate O is outwardly extended to form a support for a bearing-plate l?, (shown separately in Figs. and 2l and in section in Fig. 8,) said plate having cut-away portions p to receive the ends4 of the rolls R R, and, as shown in Fig. 8, the rolls R are longer than the rolls R', the end of each roll, however, having a raceway, as rx, Fig. 0, to receive suitable antifriction-balls SO, held in place by an end-thrust bearing, shown as a plug p let into the bearing-plate P in alinement with the ends of the rolls R.

In Fig. 8 I have shown four main raceways that is to say, raceways which receive their nails from the main hopper H. The shorter rolls R are also provided at theirouter ends with ball-raceways, one being shown in sec- `tion in Fig. S to cooperate with the pick-oft,

shown as a spirally-threaded roll RX, having at4 its outer end a ball-bearing held in place by an end-thrust bearing-stud r, each raceway having such a pick-off at its delivery end, the bearing-studs r being supported in an end plate Q, suitably bolted to side plates Q,which in turn are attached, as by screws Q2, to the guide-plate O. The inner end of the thread runs down to a point, as r', Fig. 8, and the adjacent roll R of the raceway extends beyond the path of the point of the pick-off, so that in the rotation of the pick-off the nail will be maintained in motion by the rotation of the roll R.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the nails are discharged from the hopper-pockets onto the raceway, and the bodies of the nails depend from between each pair of rolls forming each raceway, said rolls being rotated in opposite directions away from each other, tending to continually lift the nails, the heads or other `enlargement at or near the upper ends of the nails prevent ing them from dropping through between the rolls.

The rotation of the rolls, together with their inclination, causes the nails to travel down to the lower end, and they are there engaged one by one by the pointed end 1" of the-pickoff and carried along to a point from whichA they are delivered, as will be described.

Each of the pick-offs is provided at its outermost end with a gear r2, and said gears are connected in pairs by intermediate pinions r3, (see Fig. 711,) mounted in the end plate Q, rotation being transmitted to said series of pick-offs by means of a gear r4, fast on a shaft fr, driven by suitable means to be described.

In Fig. 711 one of the end-thrust bearingV blocks r, with its ball-raceway 8l, is shown in end elevation. As the nails pass down the raceway their depending body portions travel through the guideways o of the guide-plates O and also through guideways in the bearing-plate P described, so that the passage of a nail through said plates is free and unobstructe'd, the continuous top member of the plate O preventing the nails from jumping up and out of the raceways as they pass therethrough. To prevent any such action while the nails are passing through the bearingplate P, I provide a cover-plate P', (see F1g. 9,) which is supported by and on the top of the bearing-plate, said cover-plate having downturned iins or ribs p2, which enter the upper portions of the nail-passages in the bearing-plate. The upper ends of the rolls R R are provided with meshing gears 83 Se, respectively, the rolls passing through the transversely-extended and set-in part H10 (see Fig. ll) of the division-plate or end wall H between the main and the auxiliary hoppers, said portion H10 being recessed to receive the intermeshiug pair of gears 83 and S4. On the concaved side of the end wall H and adjacent the part H10 is secured a transverse bearing-plate H12, through which the rollsR freely extend and in which are mounted end-thrust bearings for the rolls R', shown best in Fig. 8 as threaded studs 86, screwed into place and having raceways for suitable antifrictionballs between their inner ends and the adjacent ends of the raceway-rolls R. The rolls R after passing through the bearing-plate H12 are provided with gears 85 and with end raceways for ball-bearings, which are held in place by threaded studs 87, mounted in a transverse bearing-plate H13. (Shown separately in Fig. 711, the inner face of the plate being shown in said figure.) The plate H1" also supports intermediate gears 88, 1n mesh with the gears 85 of the two rolls R at each side of the hopper, said gears 88 being preferably mounted in ball-bearings, as shown 1n section, Fig. S, the adjustable cap member 89 of the bearing for the gear being shown as a stud adjustably mounted in the plate H11. The pair of gears 85 nearest the center of the hopper (see Fig. 10)'are in mesh with a large gear 90, shown as a peripherally-toothed ring having ball-raceways at its faces, one of sa1d balls being held in place by the plate H13., while the other series is held in place by an auxiliary or retaining plate 91, secured by suitable screws 92 to the hub-like portion H14 of the plate H13. The large ring-gear 90 is driven by a pinion 93, fast on a shaft 94, having end-thrust bearings, one of which is in the plate HX and the other in a bracket H15, secured to the hopper end H3, said shaft 94 having a beveled gear 95 thereon, in mesh with the pinion 'n' and the auxiliary shaft N, heretofore described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by means of the auxiliary shaft N and transmitting-shaft 94 the rollsR of each pair of rolls comprising a raceway are rotated positively, and by means of the meshing gears 83 Se of each pair of rolls, the rolls R of each raceway are rotated in the proper direction, and by providing endthrust ball-bearings for the rolls, as described, I reduce the friction to a minimum and abso lutely obviate the use of o il or any other lui bricating material.

.Referring new to Figs. 6, 9, and 18, the guide-plate Ois shown as extended toward.

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the front or delivery end ofthe nail-separating mechanism to provide supports for two longitudinally-movable slide-plates S5155, extended across and below the lower lends of the raceways, each of the plates having upturned pointed or beveled fingers S5156, which are adjacent each other and at times close to the path of the points r' of the pick-offs, and

the movements of the plates S5 t5 a're so timed, as will be described, that iirst the finger t6 is moved across the passage between the rolls comprising the raceways to engage the body of the endmost nail of the series of nails in the raceway and thereby maintain said nails in upright position, and then the plate .S5 is moved to move the lingers s between the bodies of the endmost nail and the nail next above it to separate such endmost nail from the series and permit the point of the pickoff to enter between the endmost nail and the next one just below their heads to .move the endmost nail from the raceway into the spiral groove onl the pick-off. As the point r of the pick-oft' engages the endmost nail the detentiinger t is withdrawn from in front of said nail, so that the latter is free to be moved along as it travels in the spiral groove, and at such time the separator-ringer S5 remains in position, holding the series of nails until the detent t5 has again moved into operative position,whereupon the separator moves back and lets the series of nails move down to the detent, and then the separator S5 again comes forward to separate the endmost nail.

Referring to Fig. 9, the guide-plate O is shown as recessed to receive a suitable spring t5, the free end of which is attached to a pin extended down from the plate t5 through a slot 100 in the plate O, and a similar spring S7 (see Fig. 6) is connected with the plate S5. The tendency of these springs is to normally move said plates to the right to bring the separator and detents into operative position, and the movement of the plates in the reverse direction is effected by cams S8155, bear-` ing against shoulders on the two plates at the proper time, said cams being mounted on a shaft T5, the detent and separators being positively withdrawn from and yieldingly moved toward the nails, for the reason that should the point of a separator or detent'engage anail the mechanism will not be injured, the spring permitting sufficient yield. The spirally-grooved rolls RX constitute intermittingly-movable transferrers to transfer one or more nails from each raceway to a receiver, from which latter the nails are distributed Y by suitable tubes or passages to the nailblock, and cooperating with each transferrer is a retaining device to prevent discharge of the na-il or nails from the tra'nsferrer until each raceway the transferrer will be rotated as many times as the number of nails to be transferred before the retaining device will be moved to permit the nails to be discharged into the receiver.

The space between the end plate Q, sides Q, and the bottom of the guide-plate O is filled in by two slide-plates S5 and T5, which are mounted to slide on ball-bearings in the end plate Q and guide-plate O, whilea series of balls 102 (see Fig. 6) is interposed between the adjacent longitudinal edges of said slideplates,oneof the plates,as S5,having mounted thereon a series of retaining devices, shown as upturned ledges S6, which are at times closely adjacent the transferrer RX, to form a continuous support for the nail-heads as they travel along in the spiral groove of the transferrer after they have been picked off from the raceway.

The plate T5 has erected upon it a series of upright walls T6 in' parallelism with the ledges S6 and movable toward and from the latter, as will be described,the faces of said walls toward the ledges being vertically grooved to form a series of open-ended pockets T7, corresponding in number to the greatest number otl nails which can be discharged at any one time from the transferrer and corresponding, as a matter of course, with the number of openings made by the spiral groove of the transferrer with the retaining-ledge SG when the latter is in operative position, the transferrer always stopping its rotation in the position shown in Fig. S.

VThe plate T5 has holes therein registering with such of the pockets T7 as are located above such plate, and for the remaining pockets, which extend over the plate S5, the latter has holes S7,With which the pockets will register when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7. The plate S5 is acted upon by a spring S8 (see Figs. 7 and 8) to move the retaining-ledges S6 in a yielding manner toward the transferrer, and the plate T5 is acted upon by a spring T8 to move the walls containing the nail-pockets yieldingly toward the retaining devices, while a suitable stopscrew 10i limits the return movement of both plates to the left, viewing Fig. 7, inasmuch as said screw stops the plate S5, and the ledges S5 thereon stop the walls T6 on the plate T5.

The rock-shaft Sis extended through the hopper and at its front end is connected by a suitable arm t9 with a lug 1510 on the plate T5 to move the latter'in a direction opposed to the spring TB to move the receiving-pockets T7 to the right, Fig. 7, and away from the upturned ledges S6, it being obvious that as the pockets are thus moved the slide-plate S5 will follow, owing to the spring S8, until the retainingwalls S6 are stopped by engagement with the transferrers, and then the pocket portions 1 continue to move a little farther to sufficiently open up the space between the walls T6 and ledges S5, so that the nail or nails moved along by the transferrer may have a free passage. lVhen the transferrer has completed the desired number of rotations to transfer a corresponding number of nails into position to be discharged, the rock-shaft is moved in the opposite direction, as will be described, and the spring T8 moves the plate T5 to the left, Fig. 7, until the pockets are inclosed on their upper side bythe ledges S0 and the latter moved into discharging position (shown in Fig. 7) to permit the nails to drop down from between the transferrers and retaining-ledges into the pockets and into suitable distributing-tubes leading therefrom. The spring T2 is stronger than the spring Sato effect the latter movement.

The tops of the ledges S0 are beveled or inclined on their inner corners to facilitate the discharge of the nails.

A bracket 106, secured to the overhanging head of the main frame of the apparatus, has an overturned shelf-like portion 107, (see Fig. 3,) which extends directly beneath the lower ends of the pockets of the receiver when the nail-separating mechanism is in normal position, said shelf having openings therein to register with the open ends of the pockets and supporting the upper ends of the flexible nail-distributing-tubes tx, Fig. 1, said tubes being led through the openings d2 and d4 in the cross-head down to a frame 108,. registering with the upper ends of the nail-transmitting tubes C012.

When it is desired to swing the nail-separating mechanism to one side on its turntable, the nail-distributing tubes will not be disturbed and will be in proper position when 4 the separating mechanism is swung back into operative position again.

As shown in Fig. 2,the hoppers are provided with suitable removable doors 1.12 114, by which nails may be inserted into or removed from the hoppers.

The auxiliaryhopper is provided with a single raceway, as herein shown composed of two rolls R5 R0 and extended through the main hopper, and in their construction and mounting being substantially duplicates of the raceway-rolls hereinbefore described,with the exception that the roll R5 has one of its endthrust bearings as a stud 115, mounted in a bracket H10, secured to the hopper end H2, said roll havinga gear 55 meshing with a gear 56 on the roll R0, and also having outside of the hopper end H3 a gear 57 in mesh with a gear 58 on the shaft 94, hereinbefore described, and from which the said raeew'ayrolls R5 R0 are driven.

It'will be obvious that the piek-olf separating and transferring mechanism for the nails traveling along the raceway from the auxiliary hopper forms a part of the main mechanism for performing such functions.

To facilitate clearing the raceways of nails by tilting the hopper, I have shown each raceway-roll at its upper end as reduced in diameter at 120, Fig. 8, to enlarge the space between thc rolls, so that by tipping the hopper up upon its fulcrum m the raceway can be cleared, although the machine may be in operation.

By providing an auxiliary hopper I am enabled to use nails of two different lengths at the Sametime, the nails of one length being held in bulk in the main hopper and those of another length in the auxiliary hopper, and in order to prevent the nails from the main hopper from entering the auxiliary raceway I place a guard G10 of the auxiliary raceway passing through the main hopper, as shown in Fig. 6, said guard having inclined sides, which shed the nails from the main hopper off of the raceway. As

shown in dotted lines,Fig. l0, I may also place i inclined directing-plates G12 in the main hopper between and above the main raceways to assist in directing the nails down into said raceways.

.The part H10 and the retaining member 91 for the ring-gear 90 are apertured for the passage therethrough of the rolls R5 and R0, as

(see Fig.` G) above the part is also the plate H12, and a vertical slot is made in said iixed parts of the apparatus, as shown in Figs. 6, 70, and 1l, for the passage of the nail-bodies-as they travel down the auxiliary raceway.

To remove-any surplus nails from the race- Ways, I may employ brushes, as B20 B22, hve of the former brushes being shown in dotted lines, Fig. 7, arranged above the auxiliary and main raceways and mounted in a bearing-plate B23in the hopper end H2, said brushes being mounted on short shafts. The brushshafts rotate in said brush-bearings and pass therethrough and at their outer ends are provided With intermeshing gears B21, rotative motion being transmitted to the series of gears by a pinion B25, fast on a shaft B20, having end bearings in the bracket B27 and in the end wall HX, the said shaft having a gear B28 thereon (see dotted lines, Fig. 10) in mesh with a gear B29 on the shaft of the brush B22. The gear B20 is in turn in mesh with the large ring-gear 90, by which it is rotated.

It has been said that the transferrers by the number of rotations they make determine the number of nails which are to be taken from each raceway and discharged into the pockets ofthe receiver, and the mechanism for controlling or determining the number of nails to be transferred now remains to be described.

The shaft r5, which rotates the transferrers RX, passes through the end HS of the auxiliary hopper and has an end bearing in the bracket H15, saidshaft having at its outer end a long pinion T10, which is adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of gears of different diameters 301 302 303 304, (see Figs. 5, 5, 50, 6, and 8,) the gear 301 being the largest and when in mesh with the pinion R10 causing the transferrers to be rotated the greatest number of times-in this instance fivewhile the other three gears cause, respectively, four, three, and two rotations of the IOO IIO 

